Hood latch



C. HOLLERITH July 4, 1933.

HOOD LATC H Filed April 2, 1951 FIG. 1

of Fig. 3.

`Patentecl July 4, 1933 v I UNITED l STATES PATE CHARLES HOLLERITI-I, OF JACKSON, 'MICHIGALL NTi 'o1-Fics ATO TERNSTEDT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F DETROIT, lVIICI-IVIGAN,v 'CORPORA- TION or MICHIGAN Hoon LATCH Application sied April 2,'1931. serial No. 527.098.'

This invention relates to'latches for automobile hoodsand other'devices. j

One of the objects of the invention is to construct a hood latch located on the inside of the hood and operated by a handle extending to in the following description, reference being had to the Vdrawing in which: .y

Fig. 1 is a side view of a latch and part of the hood, the latch .being partly in section. Fig. 2 Yis a. section of the.y latch taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.1 f 'f Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal section of a modified form of handle of built up construction,

,shownvby wayfof examplevas of the type- `illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 isa section taken on the line 4-4 Fig. 5 yis a section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Y

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the slide of the latch.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe hook member of the latch.v i Y Fig. 8 is. a perspective View `of the back plate. i l

The latch of this invention is of the general construction shown in my application filed July 8, 1930. Serial No. 466,484. though the latch itself may be varied'without'departing from the spirit of the invention. kThe latch in general consists of a hook member 1 adapted to engage a keeper 2 secured to the cowl and radiator shell at each end ofthe hood or to the sill.` The hook niemberin the'example illustrated has a shank 3 of trough shape being open on thel front and yhaving the sides bent over at the top to form an abutment 8 against which heavy spring 4 engages at the top. A The slide 5 is open at both sides as shown so that thevhandle 9 can be pivotedbetween the sides and move the slide to latched and yunlatched positions. There is a small back portion 7 where it unites sion or finger 10 With an abutment 11 adapted to engage the lower end of the spring 4. The hook member and the slide are enclosed y ina housing 12 of rectangular'trough shape,

as shown in Fig. 2,the back opening of which The housing and back e is closed by a plate 13. plate are fastened to the' hood by appropriate screws or bolts 14. The back plate 13 has an extension 13 preferably looped out through the opening 15 in the hood and'bent to return back through the opening to extend 5 across thefupper end yof the housing to serve as an upper abutment for the light spring 16. This bent overportion may extend lower endo'f the spring 16 rests spring abutment 17 This construction is the one described in my copending application above referred to as far asthe against the The linvention in this case differs from the one in that applicationin the general construction of thela'tch handle 9 and lits relationto the slide and opening in the hood@V The handle 9 is pivoted at 18 at the upper part of theslide 5y and has a curved portion adapted to seat in a'slightfdepression inthe Vbent over ex-tension113 of the plate13. The

hole 15 throughthe hood is preferably made smalland that part of the handle that moves inand out through this hole ismade of such cross section as to have minimum clearance at 19 which will permit the handle to be in-I serted in assembling the latch. The handle is shaped so as to keep'the clearance 19 the same in the latched andunlatched positions.

The upper end of theA handle has an extension 20 adapted to rest'against the end of the A `general features of the latch are concerned. 7

AssIGNoR, BYy MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

with the finger 10.` This slide has an extenv, ,L

`through a slot in the housing at 17. The .i

on the hook member 5.

projection 20", shown in Fig.'8 in the'un`95 latched position. The'purpose of this will be described later. 'v

The exterior of the handle may take' any shape to give a pleasing. appearance'andf furnish a handy-'grip to latchv and unlatchlOOv the hood, the shape shown in Fig. l being suitable for the purpose.

The operation of the latch will now be briefly described: l

The latch in Fig. 1 is shown in latched position with the hood closed. In this position the slide l0 is held against downward movement by position of the pin 18 directly above the point of support 19 of the handle. lt' also may be held iii this position bythe depression 21 therein or by 'the point of support going past the center point. The hook 1, however, is resiliently held in engagement with the keeper 2 through the action of coinpression spring 4 which tends to force the Yhook upward. A To open the hood the yhandle 9 fwill be pulled in a general u-pward direction and this wil'l lower the pivot point 18 and the slide, through movement ofthe handle 9 which permits the vspring 416 .to force the slide. and hool downward -as Va. unit, the extension .20 ofcourse being held stationary. During Vthis action the-handleQ movesout through the opening in the .hood and when in lowered :position the clearance at 19 will be the same as inlatched position and-due to the curved shape offthe handlethis -will be-of minimum amount.. The :preferred designi-s -such that the handle has substantially constant cross 'action when it passes through the .hood open-v ving. rl`he handle 'may substantially lill the 4opening in all positions ifdesired.

Thel handle-of a Vlatch-of the type-described .has heretofore been one of the main `items Aof costfand to reducethe eostof thisiparticular litem .and thus materially lower Tthe cost of the entire rlatehlinakethe handleo-f stamped matenial, as show in Fig. 3. In this figure have so designed the stripsasto form a latch of the general type shown in Fig. l ibut it may be otherwiseshaped withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

The latch is formed of -two strips T22, ,23. The outer strip 22 is stamped with the general shape shown in Fig. 3 and has the cross sec- Tlie strip .|23 is ajsmootli fit therewith. YThis strip, however, may be of vmorerectangula-rshape, as shown in' Fig.' 5. At the point2'4 the strips n22 and 23 are bent in opposite 'directions 'to vforma more or `less circular opening to refceivethe tpin 18. The upper 4end 25 is bent overagainstthe end 26 ofthe strip23. These y'parts maybe weldedor 'otherwise fastened together. This'extension then vmay lserve lthe saine purpose as eXtension20in Fig. l, namely kto limit v`the downward movement of the slide.

Theother end strip 212 liasia portion 29 bent over the end 30 of the vstrip '23 and similarly fastened thereto.

After each stripr23 .and 22 Ais'formed in `fit-ting,relation, they may be slid together by sidewise pressure, as indicated by the arrows ying opera-tion,

the weight of the E, F, in Figs, l and 5. The relative lengths of the two parts may also be, suoli that when the two halves are thus pressed together they will remain as a unit without further fasteniiigs. After the two strips are in snug fitting relation they may be welded if desired to lock Alldie parts in rigid relation.` The two strips may also be held together by rivets or by projections forced from onepieceinto depressions in the other that is, rivets.

A handle constructed in this made of the desired shape to function as the handle Qin Fig. l without any further operation, but to give the handle 'a neat appearanceitis preferable to smooth over-and polish the surface of the parts,after which the junction line between the two strips will :be ,sub-L stantially invisible at .the distance at'which the operator of the latch would be positioned. -rllhe linished handle may also be givenl a plating of nichel, chromium or soinefotlieiendurllVhen it is desiredto liftthe hood, the

handle 9 ig. l) vwill be raised andthe hook lowered till the projection 2O engages Athe-ei;- tension 20. This support taken withthat afforded by the ,engagement of the handle with the opposite portion of the extension 13,

will limit the downward `movement fof ztlie hook. In this position the vhook is located below the guard 8l asl shown .in dotted lines.

by integral way Vmay beV ing metal or it may be otherwise iinislied to The handle 9 Vis-not adapted `for raisingthe hood and a separate bail (not shown) .will

beused vfor that Vpurpose is usual with engine hoods.` ln lifting the hood this bail the guard 31.5prevents theliookffroni reeiigaging the keeper 2. In the `normaliliift- .the hood will ybe pulled out-f wardly enough to cause the guardyto clear/ the keeper but to prevent accidental engagement the guard is provided.' AThis guard will prevent Vthe hood from Ybeing rlifted by the handle 9 as a pull on the handle will cause the handleto move about `the fulcrum-20", compress `weak spring 16 beforeovercoming hood and fthus will cause -the. liool; to kkmove above the guardv and re-engage the keeper. This is not Ya .disadvantage however, ,as ,the handles Vshould not` be used to .lift thehood, .one ,or more bails being :provided fordthe lifting operation.

l-lavinT described m invention what Iv c 7v Y claim is: y

l. In hood latches, an automobile hood-havinf` an oneninw a hookmemberattached to c l. :n

the inside `of the'hood,caihandle pivoted to -said hook member 'at a :point `located above vlatching and unlatching movements, said handle being shaped to have substantially the same clearance with the top of the opening in the latched and unlatched positions.

2. In hood latches, an automobile hood having an opening, a hook member attached to the inside of the hood, a handle pivoted to said hook member at a point located above said opening in the latched position and adapted to move through said opening during the latching and unlatching movements, said handle being shaped to have substantially the same clearance With the top of the opening in the latched and unlatched positions.

3. In hood latches, an automobile hood having an opening, a hook member adapted to slide on the inside of said hood and having an end extending above said opening, a` handle pivoted to said end and adapted to slide through said hole and a support engaging the bottom of the lever to lift the hook member as the handle movesthrough the opening, the handle having substantially constant cross section where it moves through said opening.

4. In hood latches, an automobile hood having an opening, a hook member adapted to slide on the inside of said hood and having an end extending above said opening, a curved handle pivoted to said end and adapted to slide through said opening, the curvatureof said handle maintaining substantially constant clearance from the vtop of the opening.

said opening 5. In hood latches, an automobile hood hav- I ing an opening, a hook member adapted to slide on the inside of said hood and khaving an end extending above said opening, an abut- A ment below said opening, and a curved handle having one end pivoted to said end, an intermediate part resting on said abutment, and the other end extending through said opening, said handle having substantially uniform cross section where it moves through said opening.

6. In hood latches, an automobile hoodhaving an opening, a hook member adapted to slide on the inside of said hood and having an end extending above said opening, an abutment below said opening, and a curved handlel having oneend pivoted to said end, an intermediate partresting on said abutment, and the other end extending through said opening, said handle substantially filling position. p

7 In latches, an automobile hood having a slot, la hook member' adapted to slide inside of the hood, a handle pivoted to the hook member and extending through said slot, an extensionon the interior end of said handle,

r a keeper inside the hood and a fulcrummemin the latched and unlatched` ber engaging said extension in the unlatched position to cause an upward movement of the exterior end of the handle to raise said hook into engagement with said keeper.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 28th day of March 1931.

CHARLES HOLLERITH. 

